The Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival is an event hosted by the Japanese government to revitalize the four major industries of art, entertainment, animation, and manga. In addition to encouraging the development of the industry, the various awards, excellence awards and newcomer awards selected by the event every year also have the effect of looking at the current social trends, so they will receive positive attention from all walks of life every year.

At this year's 18th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, director Naoko Yamada won this year's Animation Industry Newcomer Award for her popular animated film "Tamako Love Story", which was released last year. As a sequel to the TV anime series "Tamako Market", the work has won great support from audiences of different ages for its orthodox youth love story.

This time, the Japanese media "Anime! Anime！ "I interviewed director Naoko Yamada about her thoughts on winning the Newcomer Award and the anecdotes about the production of "Tamako Love Story". Tencent Animation Channel will send you a full translation of this interview, please follow us to see how director Naoko Yamada made this simple and youthful love story!

1. I want to describe the shining points in daily life

– First of all, congratulations on winning the Animation Industry Newcomer Award at this year's Media Arts Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs! How did you feel when you learned that you had won?

Director Naoko Yamada: I'm very happy! When I was making this work, I once joked to my colleagues, "Let's aim for this work to win the award at the Cultural Affairs Agency Arts Festival!" After saying this, I began to have a little expectation in my heart, but I didn't expect the expectation to become a reality, "Tamako Love Story" really won the award, and it really scared me at the time.

- Mr. Ryosuke Takahashi praised your "ability to depict the emotions of everyday life" and called your work "the ultimate goal of current Japanese animation".

Director Naoko Yamada: When it comes to the production of works, I pay attention to what is happening around me at all times, and I want to find a kind of "shining point in my daily life". So, I was fortunate enough to be praised by Mr. Takahashi, and I was very happy from the bottom of my heart.

INTERVIEWER Next, I would like to ask you a question about the subject matter of the work. "Tamako Love Story" changed the theme of the TV series and focused on the "love" between Tamako and Bizo. What did you think about the sequel?

Director Naoko Yamada: I've talked to a lot of people about the focus of production, including Reiko Yoshida, who was in charge of writing the script. Finally, we believe that it is most important to describe the protagonist of the story, Tamako, completely. Then, we want to use this sequel as a good end to the "Tamako series". Because we're going to write about a 17-year-old girl. Naturally, the theme of "love" was set. In addition, since "Tamako Love Story" is a sequel to the TV series "Tamako Market", in addition to considering the fans who have always supported us, we also pay special attention to the viewing experience of viewers who are in contact with the "Tamako series" for the first time.

- Such a straightforward youth love story is very rare nowadays. As a result, the work has been supported by audiences of all ages, even those who have not watched the TV series.

Director Naoko Yamada: From the very beginning, I intended to make a straight-hearted work. The budding of a girl's love is a very small thing, so you can't add too much embellishment. Generally speaking, when making a love story like zuò, everyone thinks that the more heroic the love in the story, the better, or that there should be a plot with twists and turns that no one expects. So this time, the company's top management agreed with me to make such a "straight stomach", simple and straightforward love story, for which I am really grateful. At the same time, the audience's love and recognition of this work fills me with joy!

- Little Dilla did not appear in the main part of the movie, is it also to make the work appear more "simple"?

Director Naoko Yamada: If they don't take this step with their own strength, that qiē will seem meaningless. However, if Dilla is here, he will help Tamako and them with their troubles. I was looking for a chance to play for Dilla until the end, but ...... So I can only say to Dilla: "I'm sorry". But it is precisely because of this that I was able to make up my mind to make an orthodox work of youth love.

2. Treat the characters in the story as real people and get close to them with your heart

INTERVIEWER I was very impressed by the fact that in the theatrical version, the camera-oriented approach was used, which was like shooting a live-action movie.

Director Naoko Yamada: I've always liked the way live-action movies are made. Focusing on the camera and shooting from a distance may have been influenced by my vision of "film". I've been watching TV since I was a kid. When I was a child, I used to watch movies that aired late at night, and every time I watched them, I would be so excited that I couldn't sleep all night. This time, I took the position of shooting myself, and I really wanted the audience to feel the excitement in my heart. Therefore, whether it is the method of performance or the angle of the lens, the feeling of "chasing the subject with the lens" is stronger than in previous works.

INTERVIEWER I see, and I think it really helps to highlight the reality of the characters in the story.

Director Naoko Yamada: I've always believed that it's important to treat the characters as real people. "What does he/she think?" and "What does he/she see the scenery like?", approaching the characters in the story from such a perspective, rather than treating them as "characters in fictional stories". I think this idea is probably related to the live-action filming method I just mentioned.

- This is your second feature-length film, and it is the same as your predecessor, Cinematic Light! >> What do you think?

Director Naoko Yamada: At that time, I was filming "Light Sound! Now it seems that the composition of the picture at that time is a bit unsatisfactory, and there are many things worth reflecting on: maybe this section can be shot like this! But, on the other hand, Light Sound! There is also an innocent "purity" in it, which can only be filmed by myself at that time. After a while, when I look back on "Tamako Love Story", I will probably have similar feelings. So in the end, it's still the same sentence: I want to cherish each of my works.

——"Yuzi Love Story" is a work full of green ** Hui, and the theme of "youth" is from "Light Sound! The era has continued.

Director Naoko Yamada: Although I myself have already said goodbye to my youth, for girls of Tamako's age, every breath, every blink of an eye, and all moments are "youth". When I was 17 years old, I didn't really realize what youth was, but it was a very touching time. That's why all my works so far have focused on "youth". It's the same with "Tamako Love Story", I really want to shoot the bits and pieces of their youth, and I really want to include all their dazzling moments in the lens, and I made this work with this mentality.

3. I like to depict girls

- Your collaboration with Ms. Yukiko Horiguchi, who is the character designer and the chief art supervisor, has been working with the production of "Light Voice! How would you describe the cooperation between us?

Director Naoko Yamada: How can I talk about my work with Miss Horiguchi, most of the time we rely on feelings rather than words. We often feel what each other is looking for in this work, and then give each other advice, which can be said to be a kind of soul exchange (laughs). When I made "Tamako Love Story", I didn't specifically ask her for it, but she knew very well that this time it was a movie, so she helped me do a good job of extending the proportions of the character's head and body and adjusting the character's hairstyle without me.

- Tamako and Kizo Guò have achieved their own growth in love, and the other characters in the story have also taken their own steps.

Director Naoko Yamada: You're right. For example, Shi Zhi decided to study abroad, and everyone seemed to have taken a big step in their lives without me paying attention. In fact, the progress of storyboarding has been very slow, and whenever I think "what should I do......", my characters seem to put their hands on my back, pushing me forward. They are truly my spiritual support, and I am very grateful for their courage and growth. Also, in this work, Xiao Lu is really a very important character. Did you know that her existence is "youth" in itself (laughs)! In the second episode of the TV series, I touched on Midori's love psychology, and since I have brought her to the entrance of love, I should take her on a good walk. In that sense, it's great to have the opportunity for me to make a sequel to zuò.

INTERVIEWER Yamada: The female characters you portray are full of charm, do you enjoy portraying girls?

Director Naoko Yamada: I like it very much (laughs). Girls are dazzling beings full of light, and my interest in them will never stop. On the other hand, "Free! It's an all-boy work, and Director Utsumi's way of describing the characters in the story is really interesting and full of freshness, which made me learn a lot.

INTERVIEWER When you talk about director Yamada's work, many people talk about gender perspectives such as "because she's a female director," but how do you think about it?

Director Naoko Yamada: It's true that I hear this a lot of things, but I don't really know it myself...... Whether male or female, I think how individuals see the world varies from person to person, so it doesn't seem good to explain this with a binary view of men and women. Actually, when I depict a girl, I think to myself, "This girl is so cute, and the corners of her mouth can't help but go up, so I feel embarrassed when people talk about the fact that she is a woman and her characters are also very feminine (laughs)."

Fourth, I want to explore the depth of the characters in the story through the form of guò

INTERVIEWER In addition to anime fans, there will be other visitors to the Media Arts Festival, but I think "Tamako Love Story" is a work that even non-anime fans will enjoy.

Director Naoko Yamada: As a director who usually produces late-night commercial animations, this award gave me the feeling that I had suddenly entered the art world, and I was a little shy and a little proud. For those who don't usually watch much anime or are resistant to late-night anime, I'm already very satisfied if "Tamako Love Story" can make you feel that "that anime seems to be okay".

INTERVIEWER I think that some of the guests who participated in the Media Arts Festival were people who wanted to become animation directors in the future. What would you like to say to these young people who aspire to become animation directors?

Director Naoko Yamada: In my own situation, I'm just interested in videos and people. I can't forget my emotions after watching the movie, so I devoted myself to the work of video production, hoping to touch the hearts of others with my own power. If you are interested in joining the imaging industry, I hope you will be interested in a variety of things. It's a very informative age, and it's easy to see, touch, and get certain things, so please get your hands on these things and really experience and cherish them. Finally, try to experience as many failures as possible. I often fail, but this qiē will one day become a valuable experience in our hearts.

INTERVIEWER In addition to animation, the Media Arts Festival also involves "art" and "games", but what do you think are the advantages or advantages of "animation" in this area?

Director Naoko Yamada: I guess I can see the moment when the soul is fixed. The same is true for puppet animation and clay animation, where each frame of the animation is hand-made, and it is only at the moment when the animation starts to play that the work really "moves". Therefore, I am really moved by the technique of "animation", and when I make my works, I always remind myself not to forget my original intention.

INTERVIEWER Director Yamada: You have always taken "youth" as the theme of your work, but what kind of work would you like to make in the future?

Director Naoko Yamada: I'm really reluctant to let go of the theme of "youth...... But in the future, I want to try to try to challenge the "comedy" genre. I wanted to make a comedy that would bring out the depth of the characters in the story, and bring out the interesting parts of the characters little by little. Now, I'm working on Kyoto Animation's new work "Blow! Tenor Trumpet", I am also responsible for the production of the promotional video, please have a chance to take a look!

- Finally, a few words for the readers of this article.

Director Naoko Yamada: Tamako Love Story is a work that I have put all my heart and soul into, and it is like a love letter that I wrote to all the staff, voice actors, and audiences. This is a simple story that cherishes the ubiquitous phenomenon of the budding of love, and invites you to experience the dazzling splendor of "17 years old" for yourself.

Synopsis of "Takako Love Story":

- seems to be near and far away, the love between the two.

The girl didn't know.

In the future, it is natural to inherit the family business and live in this place forever. The girl prayed silently.

However, her hair and friends are constantly changing. Little by little, grow up. There are also families and neighbors in the shopping street, and the town is full of constants and changes.

It was the spring of the third year of high school, and the girl who was thinking about these problems fell in love.

Kita-Shirakawa Tamako is not clear.

It was the feeling of standing in front of the "entrance to the universe".

The girl finally took her first step.

Tamako, grown up.

Information on the 18th Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival

Dates: 4 February 2015 (Wednesday) to 15 February 2015 (Sunday)

Venue: The National Art Center, Japan, mailto: Cinem@rt

Cinem@rt Roppongi, SuperDeluxe, etc

Organizer: Media Arts Festival Executive Committee, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan

That's it for this interview with director Naoko Yamada of "Tamako Love Story", thank you for reading. In the future, Tencent Animation Channel will continue to send you more and more exciting content, so stay tuned!